The Ultimate Guide: How to Get Hired as a Woman in Tech

Category: Software Developer Career 101, Published: 2/13/2023

Working in the tech industry can be very challenging, which is why only 1 in 4 tech jobs are held by women. To get hired, you’ll need to face these unique challenges by following our best tips and strategies to improve your opportunity. We’ve also got the best list of tech resources, organizations, and networks to support you in your career.

Unique Challenges for Getting Hired as a Woman in Tech

In the tech industry, women account for 24% of the workforce, which is quite the gender gap when considering the fact that women are 47% of the overall workforce. Part of the reason there is such as gender gap is from unique challenges women face working in the tech industry:

Pay Disparity: According to a recent study, women still make 3% less than men. While strides are being made to correct this, there are still gaps because of experience, skills, working hours, and opportunities.
Being the Only One: Because fewer women choose careers in tech, those who do are often feel like the only woman in the room or on the team. Being the only woman can be isolating, challenging to prove competence, and emotionally exhausting.
Breaking Stereotypes: Women who work in tech often have to work much harder to prove their proficiency, become leaders, and rise above unintentional bias.

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Practical Tips for Overcoming These Hiring Challenges for Women in Tech

If you want to overcome these challenges and succeed as a woman in the tech industry, you need to be willing to:

Research The Hiring Companies

Before you go into an interview, you need to research the companies and determine if they are the right fit for you and align with your career goals. Learn everything you can about your potential employers and see if they value diversity and inclusion. Knowing the company’s culture will influence your ability to thrive in the environment.

Never Stop Learning

The best way to break stereotypes and prove your competence is to build your skillset continually. You need to evaluate your resume and see where you may have gaps that will keep you from that next promotion. A great way to level up your skills is to join our coding boot camps to round out your resume and complete your stack.

Build Your Network

A key strategy to any career is to build your network. As you build relationships and join like-minded communities, you’ll make the connections you need to get promoted or land that dream position. Plus, the network can keep you current on trending innovations and technologies that are disrupting the industry.

Sabio’s network of mentors and employers can help you level up your career. Find out more about our tech partners.

Find a Mentor

A lot can be said about having a mentor. By leveraging the experience and wisdom of a mentor, you can progress more quickly and build deeper knowledge. Your mentor will also empower you and provide recognition to keep you focused.

Leverage Feedback and Even Criticism to Improve

While it might sting a little, you learn the best from mistakes. So take feedback and criticism and turn it into a positive way to learn and get better. If you have a mentor that can recognize your weaknesses and give needed corrections, you’ll find your skills and experience will improve dramatically.

Keep a Pulse on the Industry

Gone are the days of coding in a cube. You need to actively follow, join, and immerse yourself in the tech industry and community to keep a pulse on what’s trending, disrupting, and driving the direction of the industry.

Qualifications and Skills Needed for Women Who Work in Tech

To work in tech, you need an education and a breadth of skills that are in demand for the tech career you want to pursue. Most tech professionals have a computer science degree with different emphases, depending on their field. We also recommend building a deep skill base with a variety of coding skills and soft skills.

To be competitive and future-proof your career, we suggest learning and certifying in:

Programming languages such as Javascript, HTML, SQL, Python, TypeScript, Java, C++, and PHP.
Data science management, analysis, storage, and security.
Artificial intelligence is a combination of coding and data science. Since the advent of ChatGPT, many believe AI is the next industrial revolution that will be more profound than electricity or the Internet.

Best Career Paths and Opportunities for Women in Tech

According to The Women Achiever, these are the hottest, in-demand career paths for women in Tech in 2023:

Software Engineering Manager
Mobile Applications Developer
Information Systems Security Manager
Database Manager
Data Security Analyst
Product Manager
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineer
Full-Stack Developer
Cloud Architect
DevOps Engineer

Ready to elevate your resume to work in the tech industry? Learn more about our coding boot camps to get started.

Resources, Organizations, and Networks to Help Support Women in the Tech Industry

50% of women leave their careers in tech before the age of 35 because they feel they don’t have enough growth opportunities. And 39% feel gender bias. One of the best ways to overcome these challenges in the workplace is to expand your skill set, rounding out your resume for those growth opportunities.

Another way is to join tech organizations and networks that focus on helping women overcome impostor syndrome and thrive in their tech careers. Here are some valuable resources, organizations, and networks to consider joining:

Boot Camps and Scholarships

Tech Organizations for Women

Sabio is a premiere facilitator of coding boot camps that help women narrow the gender gap and land their dream job. Not only will we level up your coding skills, but we’ll connect you with the right companies to kickstart your new career.